


New Year, Same Stark

by Withstarryeyes



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Dizziness, Fever, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Steve, Protective Steve Rogers, Sick Tony, Sick Tony Stark, Sickfic, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 05:34:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17278046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Withstarryeyes/pseuds/Withstarryeyes
Summary: Something’s not sitting right. Tony wants to blame the bourbon and fireworks, gritty ash and strong yeast, but he’s been doing New Year’s Eve sober for years now and the smell of alcohol has never been enough to set him off. They’re setting off the fireworks now, and the first one blooms in a bursting noise that sends Tony into gripping the arms of his chair with white fingers.





	New Year, Same Stark

Something’s not sitting right. Tony wants to blame the bourbon and fireworks, gritty ash and strong yeast, but he’s been doing New Year’s Eve sober for years now and the smell of alcohol has never been enough to set him off. They’re setting off the fireworks now, and the first one blooms in a bursting noise that sends Tony into gripping the arms of his chair with white fingers. He’s shaking, and he has to gulp down a moan at the bright, piercing pain that echoes behind his right eye at the sound. That’s when he really knows something’s wrong. 

His eyes skitter over the remnants of the party. Most people left before midnight, party hopping and excited to get buzzed at a few more low-profile parties, but all of the Avengers are still here, talking with champagne flutes under their hands. He can’t escape, not without setting everyone off. He doesn’t want to try and leave and have them accuse him of going on a bender. 

A shiver rips through him and Tony stands, thinking that if he walks around it’ll dissipate the staleness of his stomach and the chills that are raising the hair on his arms. He gets half a room away before he’s snagged by Steve, eyes bright and hair slicked back. He’s wearing one of the suits Tony bought him for his birthday, and an American flag tie for shits and giggles. 

“It’s almost midnight, Tones, wanna move out to the balcony?” Steve asks and leans in to nip playfully at Tony’s earlobe. His knees go weak, but not from Steve. He feels like he’s trying to balance in a windstorm. 

Another firework goes off and Tony needily presses a palm to his eye, the glass of water in his left hand slipping out and breaking on the floor. Steve flinches and yelps, pushing Tony back. He stumbles and hits the wall, slipping down it. 

“Shit, Tony I’m sorry.” Tony whimpers. He knows Steve thinks he used too much strength but really Tony’s knees feel like they’ve been shot out and he aimed for anything solid to collapse against. His head is killing him. 

“Not your fault,” he manages to choke out and winces at the grating sound of glass being swept up. “Sweetie, leave it, we’ll clean it up later.” There must be something in Tony’s voice that tips Steve off because he stops trying to pick the glass up and straightens. Tony watches him through his one good eye, gritting his teeth as he rubs at the one that feels like an arrow’s been shot clean through. 

“Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m not drunk,” Tony slurs, defensive, and shudders. He feels like they’re outside in the new york ice storm, not inside a tower Tony specifically set to warm those that watched the fireworks outside. His stomach groans and Tony feels a slobbery warmth crawl up his neck and curl into his cheekbones. 

Steve goes to sit by him and presses a hand to his forehead. “I didn’t think you were drunk, Tony. But you do have a fever. How long have you felt sick?”

Tony lets his head fall into his curled up knees and wraps his right hand around Steve’es wrist. “I dunno. Not long.”

“You’re really warm, Tony. Do you think you can walk?”

Tony gulps, tasting bile on his tongue and flutters his eyes open. The little light that bleeds through his knees sends pain shooting across his forehead. As much as he wants to get out of here, this loud, smoke-filled here, he’s not sure he can actually make it. Steve pulls his knees down and stands in front of him, blocking the light. He shakes his head and Steve’s lips pull into a frown. 

“Okay, that’s fine. Bedroom?” Tony nods and Steve takes the time to pull Tony into his arms. He pants against Steve’s chest, the wet heat dripping down Tony’s neck again. He feels like he’s going to be sick. 

Steve barely sets him down in their bedroom before he is, not even able to dive for a trashcan. He purges and it slips down his chin and onto his suit. 

“Okay, okay! That’s okay, Tony I’m gonna take your temperature and then we’ll get you cleaned up, right?” Steve pulls a frustrated hand through his hair, looking his mess of a boyfriend up and down. He knows Tony must’ve felt sick for a few days to get to this point, feverish and vomiting, migraine pounding his temples. He’s concerned for the arc reactor, always is, as Tony is 3x as likely to develop pneumonia as a normal person, but Tony looks worse for wear and Steve doesn’t have the heart to lecture him right not. 

“You’re thinking too loud,” Tony says and Steve starts, jumping a little. He blushes and turns to grab their first aid kid. When he returns Tony is picking at his palms. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Steve hums and slips the thermometer beneath Tony’s tongue, waiting for it to beep. 

“Not telling you I was sick,” the words are badly mangled by the thermometer and Tony shivers, teeth clacking against the plastic appliance as Steve takes it out. It’s not as high as he thought it would be but 102 is still too high for Steve’s comfort zone. 

Steve pats down Tony’s hair and brushes some of the sweat off of his forehead. “Nothing we can do about it now. Feel up for a shower?”

Tony looks unsure but Steve starts to strip his damp suit from him and Tony nods, trying to unbutton his pants with shaking hands. “I’ll get it.” 

Steve ends up having to hold Tony up with one hand in the shower, washing with the other, and by the time they’re done Tony is practically asleep on his shoulder. Steve’s not sure his fever is any lower, but at least he’s clean, and away from the team and the party. He thinks, belatedly, that he needs to warn somebody about the glass but he’s sure JARVIS has it taken care of. Besides, he doesn’t mind taking some time off, especially for Tony. 

He’s asleep on the bed and Steve collects some tissues, a trashcan, a glass of water and some fever reducers before climbing in next to him. He can force the medicine into Tony later, but for now, Steve’s happy to just sleep next to him and ward off the nightmares. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I hope you like this fic, I wanted to write something for the holidays and thought of this prompt. If you enjoyed this please leave a kudos or a comment, they really make my day. I hope you all had a fun NYE and happy 2019!!
> 
> -C


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